Calling all mommies - I am looking for advice on how to adjust Rece's schedule to move his bedtime up. You would think I could figure this out....But I am having trouble determining how to keep building in the solids and begin to move up the bedtime. Any suggestions and sample schedules you used would be appreciated! Here is his current schedule/pattern that we have been on for a couple of months. We aren't anal about it, but these are the general times. He has 5 feedings a day and takes 4 naps, usually 2 are an hour or more and the other two are about 45 mins each, sometimes less.
6:30am - Wakes up - We dress him, get him ready for Daycare
7am - Day Care Drop off
7:15am - Breakfast (6-7 oz + cereal)
8:30 - Morning Nap
9:30 - Wakes up - Playtime
10:30 - Bottle #2 (6 oz) - fruit
11:30 - Mid-Day Nap
1:pm - Wakes up playtime
2pm - Bottle #3 (6-7 oz)
3:30 - Nap
4:15 - Wakes up plays
5pm - Bottle #4 (5 oz) Cereal + Veggie
6pm - Eve nap
7pm - Wakes up (sometimes we have to wake him up here sometimes he only sleeps 30 mins)
8pm - Last bottle (6-7 oz)
In bed and sleeping at 9.
I would like to get him in bed and sleeping around 8 and eliminate the last catnap. He just seems like he is really tired by bedtime and needs to go to bed earlier. Not sure if I should move some of the feedings to do this or what. Dr. said not to reduce the amt of formula (he takes about 32 oz a day) but I also don't want to flood him if he goes to bed earlier by shrinking the times between feedings. Not sure what to expect either as he gets older and starts wanting more solids - will he eventually drop a bottle feeding? Just wondering what other mom's have seen/done.
2 comments:
I am not sure that I am really any help but here goes. If you want him to go to bed earlier than nine I think that he shouldn't be sleeping after 6. I can't really remember Drew's sleeping patterns at this age, but it seems like Rece is taking a lot of naps. We tried not to let Drew sleep past 5:30 or so, yes he would be tired but we have been giving him a bath before bed. This helps him to wind down and also he seems to enjoy it, even if he is tired.
At 12 months Drew is waking at 6 or 7, taking a morning nap around 10:30-11 for an hour or two. He takes another afternoon nap around 3 for an hour or two. We usually start a bath around 7:45/8 (sometimes earlier if he is really tired). He plays in the bath tub and then he is in bed by 8:15 or so.
Is it possible to make his 2 pm bottle a little earlier and then you can make the 5pm (dinner) a little earlier (if this works with your schedule of course)?
I don't really know if any of this was a help. But hopefully someone will be able to offer some advice. Good luck!
Every kid is different, so who knows if this will help or not, but here is what we did with Evan when he was 6-11 months old:
6:30-6:45 Wake-up, dress, morning feed (~ 8oz)
6:45 Leave for daycare
8ish Breakfast at daycare (cereal, fruit)
9ish-10:30 Morning nap (I asked them to wake him by 11 to work with my schedule later in the day)
10:30 Bottle (8oz)
Playtime
1:00 Bottle (8oz)
1:30-3:30 (no later than 4) Afternon nap
3:30 or 4 Bottle (8 oz)
5-5:30 Dinner (cereal, veggies, fruit)
7ish Bedtime milk (-8oz) then straight to bed.
I know...everyone says it's not good to nurse him to sleep, but that last feed I would give him in his room all quiet and then put him right to bed...it worked for us...Zach and I go to bed early (8:30ish) so Evan goes to bed early too.
So he still got his 32oz but in fewer feedings and further apart.
In between feedings is playtime/errands. Switching to the 6-12 month room (from the 0-6 month room) helped us switch to this routine. Before he just slept whenever he wanted. As he got a little older and we added a real lunch, we just did that keeping the two naptimes.
Now he takes one nap a day (12-3) and I have eliminated the night time milk with no issues.
Good Luck!! Adjusting routines can be difficult for a few days. Who knows...babies can be so confusing!! Hopefully you guys will find something that works for you!!
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